Jiao Niang’s Medical Record Chapter 281

When Duke Jin’an had the luxury to worry about the ministers in the palace walking safely on a rainy day, no one else knew about it.

It wasn’t until two hours later, when the morning court session was dismissed, that Old Master Chen received a letter from a servant drenched in sweat.

The servant was panting so hard he couldn’t even speak, clearly having run all the way there. When the letter was opened, the writing was hurried and messy, clearly written in great haste.

“…Weapons are instruments of misfortune, to be used only as a last resort. Idle troops must be reorganized, capable generals must be carefully selected—how could this be accomplished overnight? It must be done slowly and with planning. One defeat, and the entire line of troops would be lost. Such a blow would chill the hearts of the people and destroy our very foundation…”

Staring at the nearly indecipherable scrawl, Old Master Chen showed no sign of complaint. Though there were no true secrets within the imperial court, to receive a report of the ministers’ discourse from within the palace this quickly was no easy feat.

What Old Master Chen cared more about was the content transcribed on that piece of paper.

Zhang Jiangzhou actually spoke?

He actually spoke?

And he even impeached two people at once!

What had originally been a situation with only two outcomes—advance or retreat—had suddenly turned into a third: neither advancing nor retreating!

The stalemate that had lasted for so long changed in an instant. But such a shift must have caught both sides off guard—and left them unwilling to accept it.

How did this happen?

Why did he suddenly speak up?

Jiangzhou…

The Academy…

Cheng Jiao–niang…

Old Master Chen’s hand trembled involuntarily—he himself was startled by the thought that had just crossed his mind.

How utterly ridiculous. Why was he even thinking about that girl?

Was it simply because the two of them were both from Jiang–zhou?

But they were completely different people.

One was a great Confucian scholar, honored enough to have Jiangzhou in his title—known respectfully as “Master Jiangzhou.”

The other, though also referred to by the name Jiang-zhou, had two additional words tacked on: “the Fool of Jiang-zhou.”

How could thinking of the former lead him to think of the latter?

Surely it wasn’t because the Fool of Jianzhou had once visited the Master Jiangzhou’s academy, that the Master would then step into court politics on her behalf?

What a ridiculous notion…

In a teahouse beside the Imperial Avenue, Master Zhou sat cross-legged on the floor, his expression solemn. Sitting across from him was a clerk, speaking in a low voice.

“…King Chu favored slender waists, and the palace was full of starved corpses. His Majesty delights in one battle and rages in the next—edicts change by the day. Over time, border officials live in constant fear, and the frontiers know no peace…”

As the account continued, Master Zhou’s stern expression gradually relaxed, and by the end, he couldn’t help but break into a smile.

“Good, good, very good!”

He let out a hearty laugh.

The clerk quickly reached over to pat him, making a “shh” gesture.

Master Zhou did his best to stifle his laughter.

“One Secretariat Editor Liu falling ill with wind sickness is no surprise. But two, three of them? Now that’s quite a spectacle!” he muttered with a low chuckle. “That little fool never fails to deliver. Always full of surprises…”

At this, he shook his head again.

“Just let those surprises never come knocking on my door.”

Later still, in another teahouse, Master Dong was also seated across from a clerk. Unlike the others before him, he added one more gesture—he discreetly slipped a flying cash note into the clerk’s hand.

Only after carefully examining the note did the clerk begin to speak.

“…Matters of war, the conditions on the battlefield—these change in an instant. That is why there’s the saying ‘a general in the field does not follow orders from the sovereign.’ Yet you, far away in the court, dare to direct the course of border warfare. You know nothing of military affairs, nor of the hardships soldiers face—should we then ask why you don’t eat meat porridge?”

“…You each claim to be acting for the sake of the nation, for upholding discipline, to set an example—but do you really understand the corruption within the military? You fight simply to fight, punish just to punish, seize on a single matter and tangle it endlessly in debate. Are you truly acting for the sake of military governance—or is it to seize control of the Northwest military and secure future glory and rewards?”

The clerk had never once in his life had the chance to witness such heated debates among court officials firsthand, but that didn’t stop him from vividly imagining the scene just from what he’d heard. He grew more animated as he spoke, spittle flying, and could now recite those words he’d overheard with fluency.

But the businessman across from him, who made his living hauling night soil, was clearly not one for such refinement. He interrupted the official after just a few sentences.

“Don’t talk to me about all that—I don’t understand it. Just tell me: are those deserters going to be executed or not?” he asked.

“The lords don’t concern themselves with such trivial matters!” the clerk snapped, eyes wide with disdain. “Right now, they’re discussing the appointment of the new Northwest Frontier Military Commissioner, whether to keep or withdraw the current generals stationed on the northwestern front, and who’s to replace them—”

“What the hell does that have to do with me?” Master Dong interrupted again, impatiently. “I just want to know how those deserters will be punished.”

The clerk glared at him.

“Are you insane? You spent all that money just to ask this?” he said.

“It’s my money—I’ll spend it however I like!” Master Dong shot back, glaring as well.

Must’ve gone stupid from inhaling all that night soil…

The clerk looked a little helpless.

“They probably won’t be executed,” he said.

Master Dong’s eyes lit up.

“Really? They really won’t be executed?” he asked, voice rising in pitch.

“Although His Majesty’s final decision isn’t clear yet, it seems that Wang Butang’s guilt has been confirmed and he’ll never be reinstated. Several of his close officers have also been dismissed. The person Minister Chen’s recommended has been approved—he’s now the emperor’s personally appointed Inspector, heading to the Northwest to investigate the military situation and determine right from wrong…” the clerk continued.

“So what’s going to happen to those deserters in the end? Why are you going on and on about all this useless stuff?” Master Dong couldn’t help shouting again.

“You really have been brain-rotted by all that night soil, huh!” the clerk finally snapped. “Isn’t it obvious? Both sides took a step back—an unresolved major dispute was barely settled, and now everyone’s scrambling to figure out their next moves. Who the hell still cares about those few deserters? No one ever really did! Whether they live or die—what’s that got to do with those high and mighty lords? It was just a convenient excuse, that’s all!”

…

The courtyard was bustling with servants hurrying back and forth, loading bags and bundles onto carts—utter chaos.

“Father, why are we leaving in such a hurry?” Lady Dong called out.

“This is what you call a hurry? This is perfect timing—not too early, not too late,” Master Dong replied as he continued directing the servants loading the carts.

“But Brother Xu and the others haven’t been released yet!” Lady Dong said anxiously. “Aren’t you afraid of what might happen? What if they’re still sentenced to death—or spared execution but given a harsh punishment instead? They won’t let us off the hook! They definitely won’t just let us leave the city!”

“There’s no ‘what if’ anymore,” Master Dong said confidently. “Now that the officials have all stopped paying attention, that means there’s room for negotiation. And for that young lady, just a bit of leeway is all she needs. It’s definitely settled—so we leave now, quickly. She won’t bother with us anymore.”

“Father.” Lady Dong stopped and refused to leave, her voice tinged with reluctance. “Then, when Brother Xu is released, let’s go see him…”

“See him, what for?!” Master Dong’s face darkened as he snapped. “It’s all because of your ‘going to see him’ that we got into this mess! You still want to see him? Still want to see him? What if after meeting, he rethinks what happened and takes it out on us again?”

“This matter is all because of Xiang Qi, it has nothing to do with us. Brother Xu won’t blame us!” Lady Dong shouted.

Master Dong spat.

“A single hand clapping doesn’t make a sound. If having wicked thoughts is a crime, then you’re the one who provoked them. Xiang Qi is the principal culprit; you’re the accomplice. Both principal and accomplice are guilty—no one gets away!” he bellowed. “Even if Xu Maoxiu gets off this time, life is long. Who can guarantee he will live without worry forever? If something does happen, people will think back to this incident and vent their anger on it.”

“Father, you’re talking nonsense. How could future troubles be blamed on us?” Lady Dong frowned.

Could this matter really have scared Father so badly?

“Won’t be blamed?” Master Dong snorted, glancing sideways at his daughter. “Do you still remember your clay doll?”

Lady Dong was momentarily stunned.

“Father… it’s all your fault for breaking my clay doll back then…” Master Dong imitated his daughter’s voice, “If it hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have needed to buy another one. If we didn’t buy it, we wouldn’t have met the rain. If we didn’t get caught in the rain, my mother wouldn’t have fallen ill. If she hadn’t fallen ill, the illness wouldn’t have been incurable… and none of this would have happened…”

“Enough, Father,” Lady Dong interrupted him.

Master Dong looked at her, and she lowered her eyes in silence.

“Si-niang, people always look for excuses to convince themselves that the fault isn’t theirs,” he said. “To forget that all this is fate.”

“Father…” Lady Dong called out in grievance.

“Enough, Si-niang,” Master Dong sighed again, looking at his daughter. “Let it go. If you don’t give up, you’ll only end up hurting yourself and others. What’s not yours is not yours—this is all predestined.”

Tears fell from Lady Dong’s eyes as she reached up to cover her face.

“Let’s go, Si-niang. Forget it,” Master Dong said, turning and walking away ahead of her.

Is it all fate?

Lady Dong lowered her head and looked at the skirt ring hanging at her waist—not gold, not silver, not jade, but a piece of polished stone.

She reached out, picked it up, and rubbed it in the palm of her hand.

Since they first met, this was the only thing Brother Xu had ever given her. No—he hadn’t really given it; she had insisted on taking it herself…

Lost in thought, someone suddenly bumped into her hard.

Lady Dong gasped, and the stone ring fell from her hand to the ground, breaking into two pieces.

“You!” Lady Dong raised her eyebrows and scolded, looking at the side.

Two children stepped back timidly.

“Mother…” they called weakly, “We didn’t mean to…”

Lady Dong looked at them and finally sighed, forcing a smile.

“It’s alright,” she said, reaching out to hold the hands of her two sons. “We’ll take the carriage; Grandpa is taking us out to play.”

Seeing their mother was not angry and was even talking about going out to play, the two little boys cheered happily, holding Lady Dong’s hands as they hopped away.

People came and went in the courtyard, and the broken stone ring on the ground was soon trampled and crushed, blending into the dust.

“That family who hauls night soil ran away,” Zhou Liu-lang said, looking at Cheng Jiao-niang standing under the corridor.

“Should we chase them down? Or just kill them on the spot?”

“You decide for yourself,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.

Zhou Liu-lang frowned.

“How am I supposed to decide on your matters?” he said.

Cheng Jiao-niang put down her brush.

A maid took away the paper she had just finished writing to dry.

“Since it’s my matter, why do you have to ask so much?” Cheng Jiao-niang said.

“Can’t you just speak properly?” Zhou Liu-lang glared.

Cheng Jiao-niang stood up.

“It’s you who doesn’t speak properly to me,” she said.

What nonsense!

Zhou Liu-lang snorted and pushed himself up.

“Then can Qin Shi’san speak properly to you?” he asked from behind.

Cheng Jiao-niang ignored him and stepped out of the study. Behind her, the maid had already hung up the calligraphy she had written.

Even during these days, Cheng Jiao-niang hadn’t changed her daily routine—writing, practicing archery, taking short rests—all as usual.

Only someone who had weathered the vicissitudes of life could maintain such steadiness.

Or perhaps, just as the girl herself said, she had no heart—so she simply did things without caring about people, without emotion, without sensation.

“Qin Shi’san… what have you been secretly doing again?” Zhou Liu-lang pressed.

“We were just… talking,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.

“Talking? What kind of talk could possibly change affairs at court so drastically?” Zhou Liu-lang asked.

“Ridiculous,” Cheng Jiao-niang glanced at him.

It was exactly that look! Exactly that expression!

Back then, the fool sitting in the Cheng family’s hall looked at me just like that!

Zhou Liu-lang gritted his teeth and glared.

“Prepare the carriage,” Cheng Jiao-niang said.

Jin Ge’er responded immediately and ran off to rent a carriage.

“Where are you going?” Zhou Liu-lang asked.

“To the blacksmith’s,” Cheng Jiao-niang replied.

The blacksmith’s? What was she doing going to a place like that?

“Aren’t you even a little worried about those deserters? They haven’t been released yet,” Zhou Liu-lang said. “Yet you seem so confident.”

Cheng Jiao-niang turned to look at him again.

“Isn’t your father handling those matters?” she said.

So she’s supposed to trust them to accomplish everything swiftly?

Zhou Liu-lang’s face stiffened.

“That’s why I said—you don’t speak properly to me,” Cheng Jiao-niang said again, then turned and walked away.

Always saying foolish things, ridiculous, unnecessary, nonsense.

That fool from Jiang–zhou!

Zhou Liu-lang clenched his teeth and stared after her back.

“Hey, what exactly have you been up to with Qin Shi’san this time?”

He lifted his foot to follow her.

Meanwhile, just as Qin Shi’san was about to leave, his father called him back.

“Shi’san, what have you done this time?” Qin An asked.

“Done what?” Qin Shi’san looked puzzled.

“You’ve been to the government offices several times…” Qin An ignored his son’s feigned ignorance and continued, lightly twirling his mustache, “…Is it again because of the Zhou family?”

Qin Shi’san smiled and nodded.

“Yes, Father. Tai Ping Residence is indeed connected to the Zhou family. Those deserters were clearly identified as owners of both Tai Ping Residence and Immortal’s Abode. If something really happens, the Zhou family won’t be able to avoid being implicated either,” he said. “I haven’t done anything else, just tried to gather some news about the officials at court…”

He sounded a bit uneasy as he spoke.

“Father, I haven’t caused you any trouble, have I?”

Qin An shook his head and looked at his son.

“You haven’t caused me any trouble,” he said, “but…”

“But what? Please tell me, Father,” Qin Shi’san replied earnestly.

Qin An stared at his son, unsure whether it was confusion or hesitation holding him back.

“How exactly did you manage it?” he suddenly asked.

This sudden, vague question caught Qin Shi’san off guard.

“Manage what?” he asked, genuinely puzzled.

His son’s bewildered expression was something Qin An could easily dismiss.

“A matter that clearly needed a decisive outcome—how did Master Jiangzhou suddenly step in and turn it into a stalemate?” he asked.

Qin Shi’san looked at his father.

“Father, are you asking me?” he blinked, then composed himself, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. “I believe everything ultimately is the will of the sage.”

Qin An studied his son for a moment.

“It’s truly strange. Last time, you went to the government offices several times because of the Zhou family, and suddenly Secretariat Editor Liu came down with wind stroke. This time, you again made several trips related to the Zhou family, and the carefully planned scheme by Chen Shao and Gao Lingjun turned out unexpectedly…” he said with a half-smile.